Guides · from Thomas Beard

Guides.

Straight answers on mixing and mastering, from the engineer who does it every day: loudness, preparing a mix, vinyl, genre craft, costs and getting a record out.

Loudness and streaming

LUFS, true peak, and what Spotify and Apple Music do to your master.

What LUFS Should I Master To? Streaming and Club Targets

Master to your references, not a number. Spotify plays at −14 LUFS and turns louder masters down. Keep true peak under −1 dBTP, or −2 if louder.

21 October 2026

Preparing a mix

Headroom, stems, references: sending files that master well.

Start here

How Loud Should My Mix Be Before Mastering? A Premaster Guide

There's no target loudness for a mix. Keep peaks between −3 and −4 dBFS, nothing clipping and no limiter on the master bus, and it's ready.

21 October 2026

Costs and hiring

What mixing and mastering cost, and how to choose an engineer.

Mixing vs Mastering: What Each Fixes and Which You Need

Mixing balances the separate parts of a song. Mastering finishes the stereo mix for release. Unbalanced parts need a mix, a finished mix needs a master.

21 October 2026